Bulls weigh keeping White as they rebuild around Giddey

The Chicago Bulls enter the 2025-26 season at a crossroads, balancing a newly committed core around point guard Josh Giddey with looming roster decisions and active trade speculation. Giddey signed a four-year, $100 million deal this offseason, while lead scorer Coby White enters the final year of his contract and has told the team he intends to test free agency next summer. That combination has prompted the front office to weigh retaining its current rotation against trading expiring assets to accelerate the rebuild.

White has set clear individual and team goals as he starts his seventh NBA season. "I want to win and I want to become that All-Star-caliber player," he said in a recent interview, adding that he remains open to staying in Chicago despite planning to play out his contract. White is scheduled to earn about $12.9 million this season, and the Bulls face the prospect of either negotiating a costly extension or trading him before the February 5 trade deadline to avoid losing him for nothing.

Those trade conversations have generated concrete proposals. One scenario under discussion would send White to the Houston Rockets in exchange for guard Reed Sheppard and forward...